Joseph Bias Ministries

And Suddenly There Came A Sound

“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Acts 2:2

The sudden appearing and disappearing of angelic beings or super natural manifestations is fairly common in the Scriptures. We know, for example, the angels suddenly appeared in the sky above the shepherds on the night of Jesus’ birth. We also know that a light suddenly appeared before Saul, so bright that he fell off his horse and was blinded because of it.

Moreover, God tells us that Jesus will suddenly come again to rule and reign on the earth.

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1

There was no countdown to the coming of the Holy Spirit, but there was a generally anticipated moment that would come at anytime while the hundred and twenty were gathered together in the Upper Room.

They all knew and expected the Lord’s promise to be fulfilled, then suddenly while they were sitting, there came from Heaven a sound.

That’s important because generally we hear it said that there came a rushing wind, but the Scriptures says it was a sound AS (or LIKE) a rushing mighty wind. That was the only way Luke could describe it for us to understand what occurred. The sound was a manifestation of the Holy Spirit that filled the room (the house) where they were sitting. And they saw cloven tongues LIKE AS a fire. This too is important. The Scriptures do not say they saw a fire. It says that what they saw appeared likea fire and it sat on them

“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:3-4

Fire is associated with the presence of God throughout the Scriptures. When God cuts the covenant for Abraham He appeared as a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp. [Genesis 15:17]

God’s first appearance to Moses was speaking from a burning bush that was not being consumed by the fire.

“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2

When Ezekiel was shone a vision of God he describes Him this way.

“And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, asI sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.” Ezekiel 8:1-2

The glory of God is so blindingly brilliant it is like the Sun as if a person were to look directly into it, but even greater than the sun. It can blind and indeed annihilate or complete disintegrate anyone or thing if the proximity to it is close enough.

On the day of Pentecost this awesome presence of God came like a rushing mighty wind and like cloven tongues of fire that surrounded them so much so that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. No one was destroyed by it. No one was injured in any way. Quite the contrary, they were all empowered by it. The combination of sound and cloven tongues like fire was the presence and person of the Holy Spirit.

That day they received the power and the utterance to be witnesses of Jesus to the world. First by speaking the wonderful works of God in other tongues, not their own native languages then by declaring in known languages the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and thousands were added to the church in one day. [Acts 2:41]

The promise was that they would receive power from on high, and so it was that from on high the power came to them. The promise was that they would be Jesus’ witnesses and so they began immediately and continued on unceasingly to proclaim Jesus to the world.

Now we are given access to that same promise and power. All we need do is ask. God will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

“Father, God we ask that you fill us with The Holy Spirit. Now we believe we receive. Thank You. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”